I Almost Grew Two Feet

[-Nemo-]

Alas, I had planned on upgrading about 6 months ago and even started a thread here and started buying things, but things didn't work out then. Now it's finally back to getting the upgrade (and this time it's going to happen!)


So here's the plan.
Upgrading from my crude 29G (110L) to a beautiful 75G (284L).
I've always wanted to upgrade and do things more correctly this time around...

So here's the 29G currently as is (with 4 fish in the corner because that's the corner where they are fed...):
PS: I know how distracting that leather in the middle is, but it's the only place in the tank it likes

Stocking is as follows:
2x Ocelaris Clowns
1x Sixline Wrasse
1x Caribbean (orange spot) Hawkfish

3x Turbo Snails
4x Ninja Astrea Snails
2x Cleaner Shrimp
A lotx Hermit Crabs (Blue legged, red tip and scarlet combo)

Anthelia
Kenya Tree
Lots of mushrooms
Pipe Organ Coral
Star Polyps
Finger leather
Yellow Polyps
Toadstool Leather
Orange Ricordia

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So here's my list of things I need and prices (** = I already have or bought):
**75G Tank - $140

**DIY Stand - Around $40
Just started building it today! Picture of it below!

**29G Sump - FREE (I won a free 29G set-up about 2 years ago and never used the tank...)

200W Heater (Being added to current 100w) - $25
Going to have two heaters.

DIY Lighting - ~$170
Going to consist of 2x 54 watt T5 Daylights and some yet to be decided amount of blue 450nm LEDs. Still working on the LED factor (especially because of pricing).

SCWD wavemaker - $90
Can be found here: http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4588+10668&pcatid=10668
In summary, it switches between outputting water from opposite sides of the tank which should = no dead zones

Pump (~1500gph) - Around $130
Brand is Yet to be decided

DIY LR [An additional 50-60 Pounds] - Around $20
I already have about 20 pounds of LR in my tank so I will be needing quite a bit more. In my previous topic I mentioned making my own LR and I still plan on doing so.

**Additional Sand [50 pounds] - Around $15
A couple years ago I found a cheap aragonite sand being sold as play sand, but it is nearly 100% aragonite and totally reef safe, it is currently the substrate in my 29G. Needless to say, I stocked up and have about 200 pounds of this stuff.

**Skimmer - FREE
Well not really free, but I'm using the same skimmer as is currently in the 29G as it is meant to be used for tanks up to 100G. I can't remember the brand name...

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I bought the tank about a week ago and as I already said, started on the stand today.
Here's a picture of the work in progress stand with 29G soon-to-be-sump underneath and you can see the 75G sitting on the floor behind the stand.

I am hopefully starting to work on the LR tonight... Will have plenty of pictures if I do
Excited

 

[AK77]

Nemo, give me your mushrooms and your leather coral please!!!

Looking great though!

Just a question with regard the sump. Are you leaving it as is or are you placing a sheet of ply or MDF underneath it?

 

[-Nemo-]

Thanks AK I'd gladly donate mushrooms, they're almost worse than the anthelia!

Sheets of ply going everywhere eventually.

 

[AK77]

I love the purple and orange. Are those "tongan" mushrooms (purple ones) ??

 

[-Nemo-]

I used to have some green tongas at some point but they disappeared on the rock somewhere...
Not sure exactly what the purples are, but definitely not tongas.

 

[john.o]

looking good nemo..
going to tag along and watch this one develop

 

[seffieuk]

Me too, i'm along for the ride

Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

Looks like a good start

 

[-Nemo-]

Good to know some of the best are watching me


Some progress on the stand today, mainly just the doors and front are left now. I think an elephant could safely sit on this thing. Debating whether to stain or paint it... I am particularly fond of a mahogany or black stain...

And I've got all day tomorrow to conjure up some DIY live rock

 

[seffieuk]

Steph, sorry am going all girlie now did you make that stand yourself? Impressive, wish you lived on this side of the pond Steph, could do with a few carpentry lessons myself

Seffie x

 

[-Nemo-]

Got my hands all dirty today with this live rock.
I probably made about 5 batches of it, each a little different but the general formula I used was as follows:

1 Part Portland I/II Cement

2 Parts Kolorscape "Play" Sand (It's really hidden aragonite sand )

2 Parts Crushed Oyster Shells (The stuff used to feed chickens)

1/2 - 1 Parts Water Softener Salt

So the first time I used way too much water and ended up having to add almost 3 times as much cement... I used twice as much salt as well. After that trial, however, I got the water down and used much less salt. The point of the salt is for it to dissolve later on and create more pores in the rock.

Here are some of the rocks I made, still really wet. The pictures don't really do them justice, i'm actually quite content thus far about how they turned out (The various cups are being used as place holders to create archways and caves).

And now these pieces will sit to harden for 24 hours and hopefully they'll have turned out as well as they look now

Steph, sorry am going all girlie now did you make that stand yourself? Impressive, wish you lived on this side of the pond Steph, could do with a few carpentry lessons myself

Seffie x

Unfortunately my carpentry skills aren't quite up to par either. Receiving some help, but it's still rather straight forward. Seems much much more sturdy then the ones you get at the LFS.

 

[seffieuk]

How you going to cure them nemo?

Seffie x

 

[AK77]

They look like something I stepped in the other week.

These are similar to "agrocrete", which is a mix of concrete and coral sand if I remember rightly.

 

[-Nemo-]

How you going to cure them nemo?

Seffie x

After they harden tomorrow they will sit in a container of freshwater with 100% water changes everyday. This will be done until the pH of the water goes down to around 8. After that, I'll be soaking them in saltwater until the pH and kH stabilizes. Then i'll stick them with some of my LR from the 29G (unfortunately I think my sump is too small for them to fit there...) to seed them. Will probably take about a month before the pH fully stabilizes.

 

[seffieuk]

People used to put them in their toilet systems that was when you had those old fashioned, overhead tanks, I of course don't remember them myself

Seffie x